Game apparatus.



No. 697,406.- Patented Apr. 8, I902.

' m. v. HAMMACK.

GAME APPARATUS.

(Application filed Sept. 5, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets8heet l.

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Z/VENTOH W No. 697,406. Patented Apr. 8, I902. m. v. HAMMACK.

GAME APPARATUS.

(Application filed Sept. 01.)

(No Model.) .v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT CFFICE.

MARTIN V. HAMMAOK, OF- THALIA, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HARRY W. MILLER, OF TI-IALIA, VIRGINIA.

GAME APPARATUS.

-EvPECIFIECILTION forming part of Letters Patent No. 697,406, dated April 8, 1902.

Application filed September 5, 1901. Serial No. 74,352. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: and the next blue, the width of each ring be- Be it known that I, MARTIN V. HAMMAOK, ing three inches. The remainder of the sura citizen of the United States, residing at face is white, including the part within the Thalia, in the county of Princess Anne and star-circle, except the star-points, which are 55 State of Virginia, have invented certain new alternately red and blue. At the center of and useful Improvements in Game Apparathe star is a three-inch white ring in the centus, of which the following is a specification. ter of which is formed a shallow depression 1 My said invention consists in certain iinof just sufficient depth to steadyaballthereprovements in the construction and arrangein, and at the end of each star-point is a 60 1o ment of parts of a game apparatus by which similar depression 2.

a number of games, hereinafter described, The leaves 13 are hinged one to each of the may be played with the use of a single appasix sides of the top A and are of a width at ratus and the table also used for other purthe base corresponding to the width of the poses, as a center-table, when not in use side of said top, to which they are hinged, 65 for playing purposes, as will be hereinafter and run to a point or nearly a point at the more fully described and claimed. I have outer end,forining, when raised,substantially denominated this apparatus the stargame' the points of a star and making a star-shaped board. table. At the point of each of said leaves is Referring to the accompanying drawings, mounted a pocket B, of the same general 70 which are made a part hereof, and on which character as the pockets of a pool-table, or similar reference characters indicate similar any pocket adapted to receive the projectile parts, Figure l is a top View, slightly in pe'rused in playing the games for which the ap-- spective, of a table forming part of my said paratus is designed. Said leaves are alterapparatus. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the nately red and blue,asindicated, excepta six- 75 same; Figs. 3 and t, top plans illustrating inch circlein thecenterof each, Whichis white different games; Fig. 5, a sectional view of and has a star therein formed similarly to the the spring driver or one. Fig. 6 is a view of star in the center of the top A, with a threeanother form of one for use with the appa inch white circle in the center and six starratus; Fig. 7 a View of one of the balls used points, alternately red and blue, extending 8o in the game, and Fig. 8 a view of the disks therefrom to the six-inch circle. A slight deused in one of the games. pression may also be formed at the center of In said drawings the portions marked A each and at each point, as in the case of the represent the body or central portion of the star at the center of the board, just sufficient table; B, leaves hinged thereto; 0, the springto prevent balls placed therein from rolling 85 cue, and D the rigid one. off without force. Instead of the center-ta- The construction of the central portion of ble being six-sided it may be of any other the table A is not material, being appropriate form desired, as round, as indicated by dotted for the purpose, and preferably hexagon in lines in Fig. 4:, the pointed leavesbeing hinged shape, mounted on a suitable frame, supor otherwise suitably attached thereto. 0 o ported on legs in the usual or any desired Around the outside edges of said leaves is semanner, the legs being preferably removable cured a flange b to prevent the balls from for convenience in packing for shipping. It rolling off, and these may be formed as cushis provided with a drawer or drawers A, in ions, if desired, and the sides of the leaves which may be stored the balls, disks, cues, are preferably somewhat curved, as shown, '5 and other parts used in playing the games. to give the balls striking them guidance to Its top has a star-shaped diagram within a the pockets B. In mentioning dimensions six-inch circle in its center, surrounded by in this description it will be understood that rings of regular width, the rings being ar- I do not intend to limit myself to any dimenranged of different colors, preferably red, sions,butonly mention the proportions of the Ibo white, and blue, as indicated, the first out diagrams of what I considerastandard table side the star-circle being red, the next white, of the character mentioned of the size designed for parlor use. Tables of other sizes and other dimensions maybe found desirable, however, for special .uses, and I design to make a very small table on the same plan for the use of children as a toy.

The spring-cue 0 extends through a casing C, having a knob c on its outer end and a coiled spring 0, connected at one end to said knob and at the other end to a center bearing-piece c in the opposite end of easing C. The use of the one is well understood and needs no special description.

The one D is simply a straight rod with a striking end (Z, having an inwardly-curved face.

The board, as will thus be seen, is built in the form of a star and may be in the form of a table, as shown, or in the form of a board to be placed upon a table or suitable support. I prefer the table form with hinged or detachable leaves, so that when not in use for playing it may be utilized as a table, and thus avoid the necessity of putting it away and getting it out every time it is used. It will be understood that the surface may be ofany desired character, polished or covered with soft material, on which the stars are represented in any desired manner. The colors red, white, and blucdescribed maybe varied, of course; but I prefer the design described, the leaves being alternately red and blue and the colors across the top red, white, and blue in regular order,with the balls and disks made to correspond, as hereinafter pointed out.

The games played are all denominated star games, being played upon the star game-board and involving features which are based upon the star form in some particular.

In Fig. 1 I show on one of the stars of one of the leaves seven men or pinsp, located with red pins on the red points, the blue pins on the blue points, and a white pin in a white center, and on the opposite side of the board a play or star ball 3 is located on the outside point of the star. The game is to knock down the pins with the ball by a blow thereon with the spring-cue C, held in the players hand. To knock down the seven pins with one play is called a star play and counts fifty. To knock them all down with two plays is called a semistar play and counts twenty-five; otherwise each pin knocked down counts two and the center one three. Three plays are allowed each player at a turn, and a game may be any number of points agreed upon, as one hundred, two hundred, (to. This game I have denominated star seven-pine.

In Fig. 3 there are six balls shown on the points of the star and one in its center, being steadied from rolling out of position by the indentations l and 2. The six balls on the points are red and blue and mounted alternately on the point of corresponding color. The red balls I have marked '1' and the blue balls I), the center ball, which is white, w, and the star or play balls 3, the same being preferably white balls with red and blue stars formed thereon, as indicated in Fig. 7. In this game the star-ball is placed on the outside point of the star on the star-leaf belonging to the player, and the play is to clear the center of all the balls by impelling the same with the spring-cue. If this is accomplished at one play, it counts one hundred and is called a star play; if at two plays it is called a semistar play and counts fifty; otherwise the red and blue balls driven off the central star count five each and the central or white ball ten. The game may be any number agreed upon, as two hundred, three hundred, &c. This game I have denominated star-01o. WVith the same arrangement of balls another game may be played, the object being to put the red balls into the pockets of the red star-leaves, the blue balls into the pockets of the blue star-leaves and leave the white ball undisturbed in its position in the center. The player may place his starball in any position on his leaf and impel the same with the spring-cue in the direction he thinks best to accomplish the purpose. Each ball properly located counts five, and if the white ball is left undisturbed itcounts twenty. If moved into the six-inch circle, it counts fifteen, into the twelve-inch circle ten, and into the eighteen-inch circle five, and into the twenty-four inch circle three, and outside of circles it counts nothing. The game may be played for as many points agreed upon, as one hundred, two hundred, the. This game I have denominated star-golo.

Each of these games may be played by as many persons as desired up to six, each having his own star-leaf to play from, to which he is confined. Each may have three of the star-balls for the three plays allowed at one turn and a one, or they may be passed from one player to the other, as will be readily understood.

Star-polo is a name I have given to another game which may be played upon this board. In this game but one ball is used, as indicated in Fig. 4, and each of the six players has a cue D,with the wide inwardly-curved face. Two of the players are called rushers and start the ball, the object being for the players on the red leaves to put the ball in the pocket of the blueleaves and those on the blue leaves to keep it from going into their pockets and put it into the red pockets, and vice versa. rushers all are then in the game and must guard their pockets and endeavor to get the ball into an opponents pocket. Each ball put into an opponents pocket counts one and a game is ten or any number agreed upon.

In Fig. 8 I show a disk 61 in plan and central section, which maybe used in playing another game on this board, which I have denominated star-c010. Each player has six of said disks, those at the red leaves having red and those at the blue leaves having blue.

After. the ball is started by the The disks being placed in any desired position on the star of the-players leaf, the game is to place that disk within the center of the star of the board A or as near thereto as possible. The players play once at a'turn until each have played around six times. After the first play the succeeding players will attempt to remove their opponents disks from their positions of advantage, as well as to locate their own to count, and will also attempt to knock their opponents disks into their own pockets. After each play all disks knocked beyond the outside or blue ring or circle and not landed in a pocket are removed, and at the end of the game those remaining counted as follows: All those within the threeinch circle at the center of the board A count twenty-five for the player, all those within the six-inch circle count twenty, all those within the twelve-inch circle count fifteen, all those within the eighteen-inch circle count ten, and all those within the tWenty-fo-ur-inch circle count five for the side to which they belong, while all those in the pockets count twenty-five each for the opposite side-that is, the reds in the pockets count for theblue players and the blues for the red players. Should a player fail to drive his disk within the twenty-four-inch circle, he may have another trial.

These are a few of a series of star games which can be played upon this star gameboard, all interestingand entertaining, re-

quiring considerable skill in properly executing them. It will be understood, of course, that the plan for either game may be varied and that other games may be suggested, all of which can beplayed upon this board, the description of the games as above being only for the purpose of illustrating the usefulness of the apparatus.

Having thus fully described 'm y said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A game apparatus comprising a boardin the form of a star the points of which have rests for the one in playing H games thereon, diagrams being formed on the surface of said board in its'center and 'at regular intervals around it, which define the rests for the pro- 'jectiles, or men, and the counts whichare used in the games played thereon, substantially as set forth.

2. A game apparatus comprising a board in the form of a star having stars represented on its surface with rests for projectiles at their points and center, the pockets at the points of the star extensions on the table, whereby it is adapted for thejplaying of games thereon with projectiles and a cue, substantially as set forth.

3. A game apparatus comprising a board, projecting leaves hinged to its sides which run to a point, aguide or fiangearound the sides, pockets in the ends of said leaves, wherebyit is adapted for the playing of games thereon with projectiles and one, substantially as set forth. I v

4. A game apparatus comprising a central hexagon board, pointed leaves attached there'- to at each of-its sides, means for supporting them, stars formed on the surface of said table in its center and in the center of each leaf, a flange around the edge of said leaves, and pockets in their ends, substantially as set forth.

MARTIN v. HAMMACK. [1.. s1]

Witnesses:

E. W. BBADFORD, OHAs. E. RIORDON. 

